Grand Rapids Community College
Teaching and Learning Quality Report – Year 3
(Graduation Requirements)
(November 13, 2014)
Report History:
Year 1 - September 27, 2012.
Revision - HLC criteria….4C.1 4C.3 and 5D.2
Approval - October 11, 2012.
Year 2 – September 12, 2013
Approval – September 12, 2013
Year 3 – November 13, 2014
Approval PURPOSE:
The purpose of this report is to measure the number of students graduating with a degree or
certificate, evaluate the current process, and determine possible process improvements to
implement.
OVERVIEW:
The graduation process at Grand Rapids Community College has made several changes over the
last few years. Students are responsible for initiating the process through the use of a new, as of
September 2014, graduation application form which is submitted online to the Student Records
Office. The student’s record is evaluated at the end of the planned semester of graduation to
determine if they meet the requirements to graduate this also includes separate requests to have a
MACRAO or MTA credential posted. Feedback is provided through an email at the end of the
semester with either a “Your degree is posted” or “Please meet with your advisor” message.
Degrees and certificates are completed in batches. Same type of degrees and certificates a
processed together to stay consistent and efficient. Once half are completed, the first batch is sent
to GRCC’s Printing Solutions, completed with the second day of the processing. Once printed
the diplomas are delivered where they are double checked by Student Records for accuracy, and
then mailed to the student at their PeopleSoft “home” address. Currently, all of the work is done
by a single Graduation Audit Specialist in the Student Records/Registrar’s Office.
The following are institutional connections with other policies, teams, projects, strategic plan,
and HLC accreditation criteria.
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) criterion states the following:

4.B.1b - Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, an Support
The institution requires that 30 of the last 60 credits earned for a bachelor’s degree that
the institution awards and 15 of the final 30 for an associate’s degree it awards be
credits earned at the institution. Institutions that do not maintain such a requirement, or
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
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have programs that do not, are able to demonstrate structures or practices that ensure
coherence and quality to the degree. (Consortial arrangements are considered to be
such structures. In addition, an institution that complies with the criteria for academic
residency requirements of the Service members Opportunity Colleges (SOC) will not be
deemed out of conformity with this Assumed Practice provided that its policy is an
exception for active-duty service members and not for students in general.)

4.C.1 – Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
The institution has defined goals for student retention, persistence, and completion that
are ambitious but attainable and appropriate to its mission, student populations, and
educational offerings.

4.C.3 – Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
The institution uses information on student retention, persistence, and completion of
programs to make improvements as warranted by the data.

5.D.2 – Resource, Planning, and Institutional Effectiveness
The institution learns from its operational experience and applies that learning to
improve its institutional effectiveness, capabilities, and sustainability, overall and in its
component parts.

Strategic Leadership – CAP 1.5.2 – Implement College generated graduation process
and procedures.
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
2
PROGRESS RE: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM LAST REPORT
Next Steps
1)Implementation of
Automatic Awarding of
degrees –
2)Review and analyze and
implement recommended
changes from data and
information received from the
Graduation Survey.
3)Develop a Reverse Transfer
communication plan.
Working with members of the
State of Michigan Reverse
Transfer Grant – Credit When
It’s due.
Responsible
CAP 1.1.1 Team (Now CAP
1.5.2)
Timeline
End of Winter semester 2014
Partially. Our first pilot will
occur in November. Using
MyDegreePath a query will
check for students that could
have graduated starting with
fall semester 2011 through
summer of 2013.
Registrar, Associate Registrar October 2013
Graduation Audit Specialist,
Partially. The survey
IRP.
questions were interpreted by
those completing the survey in
a different way than we had
expected. We were looking to
find out more regarding the
processes around granting the
degrees and diplomas. We
discovered to most students
graduation means the
ceremony process. We will be
looking at creating a different
survey with different
terminology.
Registrar, Associate Registrar, Academic year 2013-2014
Transfer and Articulation
Not Completed by RT
Specialist, Chris Baldwin from Initiative. This work was
MCCA, GRCC’s Reverse
slated to be part of the
Transfer Partners – DU, FSU,
Credit When It’s Due grant
GVSU, MSU, U of M and
initiative, but never
WMU.
materialized.
We have been working with
our partner institutions
looking at other ways to
increase our numbers such as
dropping the number of credits
a student took at GRCC from
a high of 45 to now 15 credits.
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
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4) Establish the direct “owner” Registrar will ask to have
for My Degree Path.
issue presented at Pro-Deans.
5) Consultant needed from
Ellucian (DegreeWorks) to
develop reports from
MyDegreePath to use to
implement the new College
Generated Graduation
Process.
6) Grant MyDegreePath usage
rights for adjunct processors.
Registrar will submit budget
request to SLT.
MyDegreePath
Implementation Team, CAP
1.1.2 Champions+
Fall Semester 2013.
Completed. The Student
Records/Registrar Office is
the direct owner.
Winter Semester 2014.
Completed. An outside
consultant was hired and used
to develop the report to be
used in the College Generated
Graduation Process.
Winter Semester 2014
Completed.
PROCESS MEASURES:
1) How well the institution provides the service
2) Navigation/Tools/Resources available and student satisfaction
TABLE 1: Number of Students Graduated
Year (Fall, Winter, Summer Semesters)
2010/2011
2011/2012
2012/2013
2013/2014
Total Number*
2052
1782
1866
1758
Data Source: Student Records/Registrar’s Office – October 30, 2014
*As of 2012/2013 the practice of back dating a graduation was eliminated. Students applying to graduate
Analysis: It’s a bit disconcerting to have a drop last year, although not huge with 108 less
students, it is still is a drop especially with all the initiatives we have been working on to get
students to graduate. This drop maybe indicative of our lower total enrollment as well as with a
more robust economy students are transferring sooner without graduating. With this decrease it
reinforces the need to communication more to our students of getting their associate degree,
especially before they leave us. I believe the College Generated Graduation should help increase
the numbers for next year.
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
4
TABLE 2: Navigation Tools/ MyDegreePath – Unique Student Logins
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Monthly
Total*
Yearly
Monthly
2013 Oct
2013 Nov
2013 Dec
2014 Jan
2014 Feb
2014 Mar
2014 Apr
2014 May
2014 June
2014 July
2014 Aug
2014 Sept
2014 Oct
2014 Nov
2014 Dec
Total*
Yearly
24,956
14,062
3652
2594
3251
3183
2184
2336
3522
3145
2359
3263
3353
2240
3,620
*Distinct unduplicated My Degree Path total usage since first go-live - October 15, 2012)
Data Source: GRCC IT Department (September 30, 2014)
Analysis: As mentioned last year unfortunately, we don't have access to many statistics using
DegreeWorks. When investigating with other institutions that use DegreeWorks, we discovered
they were also Banner schools and did not have to query off of DegreeWorks as they query
using Banner instead.
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
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It is interesting to note however in the chart the highest usage is around the registration dates in
October of this year and last year as well as graduation time in April. This does give some
indication users are going to the system more often to tell them what to register for and how they
are meeting their requirements towards graduation.
OUTCOME MEASURES:
• Number of degrees and certificates awarded
TABLE 3: Number of degrees and certificates awarded by Semester
AA w/
MACRAO
AAAS
AB
AFA
AGS
AM
AN
AS
AS w/
MACRAO
Certificate
Total
Fall
2010
347
Winter
2011
497
Summer
2011
285
Fall
2011
316
Winter
2012
376
Summer Fall
2012
2012
209
320
Winter Summer
2013
2013*
407
103
115
55
3
7
1
33
7
19
201
62
5
14
5
31
2
46
110
23
0
10
1
29
0
32
123
51
0
10
2
22
0
26
184
75
12
15
8
26
1
52
104
36
0
10
2
34
2
13
104
53
3
16
3
19
1
22
199
65
2
18
7
25
3
34
60
16
0
6
2
29
0
15
67
654
60
923
54
544
45
595
40
789
45
455
69
610
56
816
35
266
Date source: Student Records/Registrar’s Office (08/27/2013) *All graduates for summer 2013 were still being
processed; this is the total number as of (08/27/2013)
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
6
AA w/
MACRAO
AAAS
AB
AFA
AGS
AM
AN
AS
AS w
MACRAO
Certificate
Sub-Total
MTA
MACRAO
Total
Fall
2013
263
Winter
2014*
407
Summer
2014
185
75
55
0
9
2
38
0
21
222
55
3
22
4
22
32
31
105
28
0
7
2
31
21
0
57
520
N/A
0
520
71
869
60
439
70
939
81
520
Data Source: Student Records/Registrar’s Office (10/30/2014)
*First Semester awarding MACRAO separately forward.
Analysis: This year was the first year, starting Winter semester 2014, we started to award
students separately for their MACRAO degrees. In the past we only awarded this if it was
attached to the degree such as the AA with MACRAO and/or the student requested it. Numbers
may also reflect the adjustment of academic program plans (majors) for students that occurred
last year.
TABLE 4: Total Degrees by Semester and Year
Semester
Fall
Winter
Summer
2010
654
923
544
2011
595
789
456
2012
610
816
266*
2013
520
939
520
Date Source: Student Records/Registrar’s Office (10/30/2014)
Analysis: The high winter semester number in 2013 may be due to the changes in Enrollment
Reporting for Financial Aid. It requires all degrees must be posted no later than 60 days after the
confer data at the end of each semester. Therefore, if a student submits their application to
graduate after the 60 days they will be graduated in the following semester. For example students
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
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that submitted their applications after finishing their fall semester classes, if 60 days after the
confer date must be graduated under the winter semester.
TABLE 5: Total number of degrees and certificates awarded by year
Academic Year
Total Number
2010/2011
2,130
2011/2012
1,843
2012/2013
1,957
2013/2014
1,828
Data Source: Student Records/Registrars’ Office from PeopleSoft (10/30/2014).
*All graduates for summer were still being processed at the time of this data as of 08/27/2013.
Analysis: As you can see, the total number of degrees/certificates awarded for the 2013-2014
academic year was down by 129 certificates/degrees. However, like last year, our total number
of graduates (see table 1) is down by only 108 students. This is the first year of the Multiple
Associate Degree Policy this may have an impact as students in the past were able to get multiple
degrees.
TABLE 6: Reverse Transfer Consortium Agreement
Credit When It’s Due (CWID) Grant - Reverse Transfer Initiative
Data on these metrics for the timeframe of January 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014
N Students
N Students
NOT
N Students
Community
N Degree
N Degree
Awarded an Awarded an Contacted
College
Audits
Audits NOT
Associate's
Associate's
for FollowPartner
Conducted
Conducted
Degree
Degree
Up
Davenport U.*
Ferris State
Grand Valley State
Michigan State
UM- Ann Arbor
Western Michigan
TOTAL
24
42
134
1
2
10
213
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
22
70
1
1
5
108
15
20
64
0
1
5
105
15
20
64
0
1
5
105
Source: Student Records/Registrar’s Office as of October 20, 2014
KEY:
N Degree Audits Conducted = Of the students who consented, the number of students who
received a degree audit.
N Degree Audits NOT Conducted = Of the students who consented, the number of students
who DID NOT receive a degree audit.
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
8
N Students Awarded an Associate’s Degree = Of the students whom a Degree Audit was
conducted, the number of students who met degree requirements and were awarded an
associate’s degree.
N students NOT Awarded an Associate’s Degree = Of the number of associate’s degree NOT
awarded, the number of students contacted for follow up and potential RT eligibility, actions
students need to take to receive degree etc.
*Davenport University was not part of the CWID grant, but was included in this report as part of
our Reverse Transfer Partners.
Analysis: This grant with several national foundations collaborating to support partnerships of
community colleges/ universities, was to help to scale –up approaches to awarding associate
degrees to the many students who transfer from community colleges to universities before
receiving their degrees. I am disappointed to see such low overall numbers for the State’s
“Credit When It’s Due” grant initiative this past year. One reason may be our graduation
requirement of PS 110 and the WE requirements. Many Reverse Transfer students are missing
these courses.
ISSUES/CONCERNS
1. The bridge between PeopleSoft and DegreeWorks (MyDegreePath) will no longer be
supported by DegreeWorks. GRCC will be responsible for the development of this
bridge which will be mandatory if PeopleSoft has major changes to their software.
RECOMMENDATIONS/NEXT STEPS FOR NEXT YEAR
Next Steps
Responsible
Develop and send a survey
Student Records/Registrar,
to all the College Generated
CAP 1.5.2 and IRP
Graduate students
Implement the email 3C’s in
Student Records/Registrar’s
PeopleSoft to enhanced
Office, IT
communication and tracking
of communication initiatives
for graduation and reverse
transfer initiatives.
Initiatives to increase student
usage of MyDegree Path.
MyDegreePath
Implementation Team,
Student Records/Registrar’s
Office, Counseling,
Enrollment Center and
Financial Aid Offices
Timeline
Winter Semester 2015
Winter 2015
Summer 2015
GRCC Teaching & Learning Quality Model
Graduation Requirements for 2014-2015
(Diane Patrick – 2014)
9